India does not need nuclear energy: Top scientist

One of the pioneer nuclear scientists in the country says that India can very well suspend its entire nuclear programme. “It is true that we have spent thousands of croresof rupees to set up nuclear power plants. But we will be forced to spend thousand times more than that in the eventuality of a nuclear disaster,” said Dr MP Parameswaran,former scientist of the Atomic Energy Commission.

Referring to the agitation by the Peoples Movement Against Nuclear Energy demanding the closure of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, Dr Parameswaran, India’s first PhD in nuclear science, said the country is not that hard-pressed for nuclear power.

“Of the 750,000 MW power projected for 2030, fossil fuels will account for 400,000 MW. A ten per cent increase in this can offset the shortage produced by the suspension of the nuclear energy programme. We have all the expertise and production capacity to do this,” he said.

According to this scientist, nuclear energy will become viable only with the development of a foolproof mechanism for radio active waste disposal and radiation damage.

“What they should do is to redesign the reactors at Kudankulam so that they could be operated either with coal or natural gas. Yes, there are costs inviolved in it. But the real cost of continuing with the nuclear programme is much higher,” he said.

Dr Parameswaran, much senior to Dr Sreekumar Banerjee, the chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, took strong exception to the latter’s comment that a nuclear power plant is not acar factory where you can switch off the system.

“That is exactly the problem. You cannot switch off the system and close gates for decades and even centuries after the plant has stopped generating energy. There are several reactors in USA and France which produce no more power but cannot be switched off. These reactors require most of the system like cooling, radiation monitoring security and so on to keep working,” he said.

The nuclear science veteran pointed out that the Fukushima disaster was caused not by the working reactor but by the spent fuel tank. He also refuted the claims of the AEC chairman that the country’s scientists has all answers on radiation, safety and other aspects. “Has the issue of final disposal of radio active waste been solved? Has the possibility of nuclear accidents either due to human or mechanical or natural causes been totally prevented? The answer is no,” he said.

Dr Parameswaran asked the AEC chairman to convincingly clarify the reason behind the pressure exerted on India by the Nuclear suppliers Group to sign the non-liability accord. “If the nuclear reactors are so safe, why they are forcing India to sign this treaty?. The manufacturers themselves are notconvinced about the durability and safety of the reactors,” he said.

He pointed out that the agitation against the KNPP was therefrom the beginning itself. “It became intensive after Fukushima. The NPCIL should not have gone for hot run at all once the opposition flared up. They thought that the opposition could be steamrolled,” said Dr Parameswaran.

Kudos to my esteemedpeople's friend,Dr.M.P.Parameswaran for his excellent article on why kudankulam reactors must be abandoned in the interests of public safety in Kerala and Tamilnadu.Knowledge is power in advanced and civilized countries like USA where scientists ansd technologists call a spade ,a spade unlike in India where some of the experts work like Roman slaves before the people in power.

It is a pity that in India,Power is knowledge and hence the so called Temples of Knowledge in the Country like Indian institutes of Technology will not dare to use their knowledge to educate the officials and public on these issues of life and death to millions of common people at whose expense these institutes of higher learning are maintained. see web sites for more detailshttp://tshivajirao.blogspot.com/2011/09/why-india…

titu

sir right from childhood i was asked to write essay on advantage or disadvantage of science,always i chose the advantage because i always believe that science has given a lot to human beings. as per your article one should not have even electricity current at home because many people died because of it. moreover if you believe that Indians are not capable to execute successful utilization of nuclear energy, i completely disagree with you.

M. John Rupert

Dear Titu.

In several areas you have to accept that science has several disadvantages. You cannot say that all the inventions are good and human friendly. The inventions can be recent and advanced. That will not make it good. Nuclear radiation is dangerous. Even at normal run time itself it can leak. It can mutate. And what will you do after the reactor expires. How will you protect when some one attacks. How long can you protect.

We are not saying that Indian are not capable. We are saying that there is a chance of high risk. and also assured radio leakage risk. That is common every where. Please go through the reports in tehalka.

Krish

According to this article, you cannot use any scientific advancement for the mankind. It is similar to saying, ban cell phones as they use electro magnetic waves that can harm human cells, ban flights, trains, buses or any motor transportation as they don't guarantee 100% safety while travelling and cause accident, don't use machinery, etc.. Basically, the author is asking us to go and live like the men lived in stone age.. I'm definitely not as knowledgeable as the author in nuclear energy.. with basic science knowledge that i gained, you have pros and cons on everything.

M. John Rupert

you cannot compare cell phone with this. the risk factor can be smaller. But the effect is too strong. And there is a minimum assured risk of minimal radio leakage. that is 50 times stronger than normal gamma radiation which is well enough to mutate the things.

Yes we have pros & cons on everything. But the problem here is "In all other cases the only the employees and the neighboring people will be affected but here 100s of generations and the land and the people at the vicinity will be affected".

durai

Please note the Japan cities were washed away by tsunami taking thousands of lives.Japan may need decades and trillions to rebuild their washed away cities.Therefore, our fear of risk due to only nuclear radiation(which may not occur at all) is not correct.
All over world around 439 nuclear reactors are under operation since last 5o years. Hundreds of reactors are being constructed/planned in near future and it is estimated to reach total around 1000 operating reactors in future. Many countries including USA,France,France,Japan,Russia- all developing countries are still operating reactors. We should know that so called intellectuals of the word will not operate so many the reactors if it is so deathly ?.
We we all know that 1kg of Uranium can give millions of units of electricity which no other energy source gives. Those who don’t know the power potential of uranium are the real losers.
Therefore nuclear investment in India can not be ignored.

Puneet Swaroop

You Ant Nuclear people are so innocent. You do not even know that for ages there is no lags of lies. It can not go much far. Now a days with internet, lies has to die. I just went to internet and found that the following basics about the author is big lies.

In fact he has done his PhD from Moscow USSR and not the first PhD from India. Any one can check.

With due respect to his age, I don't understand how a person PhD in Nuclear Science can give the following suggestion

"“What they should do is to redesign the reactors at Kudankulam so that they could be operated either with coal or natural gas."

Reactor operation with coal or natural gas ?

Now a days Rectors are being taught in class 6th. REACTORS ARE THE PLACE WHERE CONTROLLED NUCLEAR CHAIN REACTION TAKE PLACE, HOW COAL AND GAS CAN OPERATE A REACTOR?

Also he was with BARC not with Atomic Energy Commission. AEC is a separate and very much higher body.

Regarding his reaserch work done in 1965 ( USSR days ) Any one can understand from the following news in Hindu.

CPI(M) expels M.P. Parameswaran

Hindu: Monday, Feb 16, 2004

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, FEB. 15. M.P. Parameswaran, one of the founder-leaders of the Kerala Sasthra Sahithya Parishad (KSSP), has been expelled from the Communist Party of India (Marxist) for his "open rejection of Marxism-Leninism and the fundamental tenets of the party."

A communiqué issued at the end of the three-day meeting of the CPI(M) State committee here today said the committee had decided to expel Dr. Parameswaran as his reply to the State secretariat's notice on the subject was unsatisfactory. Dr. Parameswaran had committed serious breach of discipline and forfeited his right to continue as a member of the party by adopting a stand that was at variance with the accepted principles of the CPI(M), the communiqué said.

The CPI(M) State committee meeting, attended by the party general secretary, Harkishan Singh Surjeet, and several Polit Bureau members, has firmly rejected the allegation that the People's Plan Campaign, implemented by the 1996-2001 Left Democratic Front Government, had its origins on the drawing boards of the World Bank and that it did not have clear class or political perspective. It has also rejected the position that decentralisation of powers is a panacea for globalisation and called upon party members to remain vigilant against the `anti-Marxist' campaign for party-less participatory democracy at the grassroots.

Clarifying the party's stand on acceptance of foreign funds, which has become a major subject of debate within and outside the party in recent months, the communiqué said an examination of the relevant facts had not revealed `anything unusual' in the acceptance of Rs. 10.5 crores by the Government-run Kerala Institute of Local Administration (KILA) as assistance from the Swiss Government. It, however, conceded that the failure [of the persons concerned] to raise the issue within the party and evolve a consensus on it had led to confusion. The question of any foreign assistance should be communicated to the party and appropriate decisions taken, it said.

Given the resource crunch being experienced by them on account of the policies being pursued by the Central Government, it would be imperative for State Governments to accept assistance from multilateral financial institutions and foreign governments. However, any assistance that is accompanied by conditions that go against the interests of the country and the people or which seek structural reforms that suit the globalisation process should not be accepted. The communiqué said there was no basis for the allegation that the LDF Government had accepted such assistance. When governments in which the party has a role are forced to accept such funds, the party members concerned should apprise the party of the matter and evolve clarity through discussions, the communiqué said.

The State committee, however, took a stronger view of the manner in which the KSSP had availed itself of Dutch assistance through the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) for one of its projects related to democratic decentralisation. The communiqué pointed out that though it could technically be said that it had received the funds from the CDS-approved research project, the failure of Parishad members to draw the party's attention to receipt of the assistance had led to confusion. Pointing out that every member of the party was bound to abide by the guidelines on acceptance of foreign funds, adopted by the party in 1995, it called upon party members working in mass organisations to oppose all types of foreign funding.

Briefing reporters about the deliberations of the party State committee, the CPI(M) State secretary, Pinarayi Vijayan, said the committee did not propose to initiate action against anyone other than Dr. Parameswaran. Replying to questions, he made it clear that the party had examined all the relevant facts, but could not find any external assistance for the Mararikkulam project being implemented under the leadership of the party secretariat member, T.M. Thomas Isaac, MLA. The project, to its knowledge, was being funded under a Central Government scheme, Mr. Vijayan added.

durai

We all know that the developing India has to grab all the possible energy sources .No other energy sources gives the amount of energy that nuclear gives. Developed countries used nuclear energy to become so .Why can’t we use the same sources which is proven and we have 20 plants operating with high safety factors for last 40 years. Also it is to be noted that renewable energy sources/technology are still being developed and being done in small scales only because of cost and other reasons. It may take another decade for wind, solar to be fully competitive.
The 40 years of nuclear experience, ready made technological advantage, tremendous power potential is the need of time for energy hungry Tamilnadu. In order to enter into new era of Nuclear fusion technology (ITER) we need to master the Nuclear fission technology now. Therefore nuclear in our energy mix is very much needed at present.

All over world around 439 nuclear reactors are under operation since last 5o years. Hundreds of reactors are being constructed/planned in near future and it is estimated to reach total around 1000 operating reactors in future. Many countries including USA,France,France,Japan,Russia- all developing countries are still operating reactors.

We all know that 1kg of Uranium can give millions of units of electricity which no other energy source gives. Those who don’t know the power potential of uranium are the real losers.

It is to be noted that wind, Hydro, Solar ,wind ,coa,l gas alone can not meet the future energy requirement as new industries , roads, buildings, houses and colleges are continuously being constructed in grwing India which needs power to feed the increasing population.

Benefits in Nuclear:-
Large amount of power potential-( Jaitapur is 1650MWe single unit), Better Efficiency, 40 years of nuclear experience and Base for future Fusion technology(ITER) , less area requirement and low cost(KKNPP is Rs.6.5 Cr/MW).

The energy hungry Tamilnadu/fast developing India needs to tap power from all available sources. Hence scrapping of kudankulam nuclear plant which will give large amount of needed energy for us is not justified and stopping its work at 99% is not at all acceptable.

Nuclear is also needed to enter into the new era of nuclear fusion technology. Otherwise India will be left behind in future. India is a member of ITER fusion technology which is going to power the future world. So if we really want India to be a developed country and reap the benefit of future technologies, concerned about India’s future generation we have no option but to continue and invest in nuclear.
India needs to have all form of energy in basket and grab the available other sources for speedy development. But as of now no other energy source can beat nuclear on its power potential , size and technological capability.Therefore nuclear power plants in India can not be avoided and Kudankulam plant is very much needed to feed energy hungry Tamilnadu…

i do think india needs nuclear energy because india is still lack of electricity where power failure are at maximum but the the thing is that nuclear energy must b used for positive purpose and must check all possiblities of its leakage that can harm the innocent people buu yes in the other words india must have nuclear power also otherwise india will be backward in compare to others in order to make india devloped in the future india needs to take risk

Baben

while in the present time where most of the European countries are switching to green & renewable sources of energy, while BJP led India with its vast budget is still stuck on to nuclear energy programs. If the government really is full of intellectuals where have their minds gone. Just a slave driver for the elites, & the country has to think of its own. Obliviously we are following our great messiah, aren’t we?